Chapter Text
He’s just my Tammy…
Mike sat still on the couch in the aftermath of Will revealing his sexuality to everyone. His mind was replaying the moment over and over again on repeat. The way that Will had looked at him and had spoken had left no doubt in Mike’s mind who his crush had been. However, this new revelation had also sparked a peculiar curiosity within the group, and Dustin was the first to speak up about it.
“Who the fuck is Tammy? What even is a Tammy? Was that some sort of codeword or something?” Dustin suddenly wondered aloud. “Do you think that’s who Will likes?”
“We don’t know any Tammy’s though.” Lucas remarked.
He’s just my Tammy…
Mike swallowed roughly, unsure of how to answer Dustin when his mind felt like it was moving a million times the speed.
“Maybe it’s an obscure reference?” Lucas offered with a shrug.
“What are you three talking about?” Steve raised a brow as he happened to be passing by.
“We’re trying to figure out who Tammy is.” Dustin answered.
“Oh, Tammy. Tammy is just the name of a girl - Tammy Thompson. I understood that reference by the way.” Steve smiled proudly at Robin who simply rolled her eyes at him. “Will was just using that as an example to talk about his crush.”
“Oh! Like an analogy.” Dustin nodded in understanding.
“Soooo... do you think it’s you or me?” Lucas suddenly asked Mike.
“Huh?” Mike asked dumbly, breaking out of his thoughts to look at Lucas in confusion.
“The guy Will liked. You or me?” Lucas asked again.
“Well, clearly, it was me.” Mike responded defensively.
“No way, man! It was totally me!” Lucas argued back.
Dustin gaped at them in disbelief. “Why wouldn’t it be me?”
“It’s not you!” Both Lucas and Mike chorused as one.
“Why not?” Dustin asked.
“‘Cus it’s me!” Lucas and Mike exclaimed over him.
“Hey, that’s totally unfair! Just cause I was the last to join the party doesn’t mean I couldn’t have been Will’s crush!” Dustin argued back.
“Does it matter who his crush was?” Steve asked, confused by the argument.
“YES, IT DOES!” All three boys exclaimed.
“Alright. Calm down.” Steve raised his hands up in surrender while Robin snickered softly under her breath in amusement.
“It’s obviously me! He looked directly at me!” Mike spoke.
“He was looking at all of us. You’re not the obvious choice just because you were the one sitting closest to Will.” Lucas scoffed in annoyance. “You know, you’re just jealous of the idea of Will liking someone more than you. You two might have been friends since kindergarten but Will is also my friend too.”
“And mine!” Dustin interjected stubbornly.
“Why do you both even care? You both have girlfriends!” Mike retorted.
“So do you! It’s not about that!” Lucas interjected.
“Then what is it about? I thought you were in love with Max!” Mike countered. “You can’t date Max and date Will at the same time!”
“Why not?” Max spoke up, surprising everyone as she rolled into the room.
“WHAT?!” Mike swerved his head from Lucas to Max. “You can’t do that?!”
“Max!” Lucas jumped in surprise. “How much did you hear?”
“Enough. You’re all being obnoxiously loud.” Max informed the group before turning her attention fully on Mike. “And for your information Wheeler, unlike your very narrow minded views of love, Lucas could date me and Will at the same time. Ever heard of the Free Love Movement?”
Mike's mouth hung open, unable to articulate anything as he stared at Max in shock by the implications she was offering. Lucas was equally as surprised.
“Would you really be okay with that?” Lucas asked, curious.
“Look, if Will did have a crush on you I wouldn’t be upset if you both wanted to pursue it. I mean, you and I have broken up a lot of times since we started dating.” Max countered. “I couldn’t blame Will for falling for you during that time or even before I arrived in Hawkins. If all of us dating is something we could try, why not?”
“Keyword: if.” Dustin cut in. “Which, by the way, I am highly offended nobody would consider that Will had a crush on me. I would be an amazing boyfriend to Will.”
Mike seemed to finally find his voice to question Dustin. “What about Suzie?”
“To be honest, I haven’t been able to talk to Suzie since the lockdown. I'm worried the government might overhear and put her or her family in danger.” Dustin admitted softly, looking a little sad before brushing past the topic. “So, if I don’t still have a girlfriend after this is all over, I would totally give dating Will a try. I mean, he deserves to be happy after all this Vecna bullshit.”
Both Lucas and Max nodded their heads in agreement with Dustin. Meanwhile, Mike was struck speechless by everyone around him and he tried one last time to argue in his favor.
“Will said I was the heart of the Party. That meant something.” Mike spoke roughly.
“Yeah, you might be the ‘heart’ but can you sing from the heart?” Dustin countered. “No. I didn’t think so.”
“Also, didn’t you bring everyone in the group for Will to come out and didn’t stop to think how awkward that is?” Lucas replied. “That doesn’t seem like something the 'Heart of the Team' would do.”
“All the more proof that Will’s Tammy isn’t Mike.” Dustin agreed.
Mike threw his hands up in the air. "I thought it was about Vecna! I didn't think Will was going to come out right then and there!"
“For the supposed ‘heart’ of the group you sure aren't considerate about letting Will have other options." Max retorted sharply. "I would have thought you'd learn how to give others choices after your break up with El."
“Wha- But- I-” Mike sputtered.
“Wha- But- I-” Max mocked back, it seemed even in a wheelchair and eighteen months in a Vecna-trance didn’t take her spunk away.
“Robin, you okay?” Steve nudged his best friend’s side as she laid slumped against him.
“This is the best day ever.” Robin smothered her laughter against Steve’s side with tears in her eyes. “I’m so proud of my gay son.”